Supply control for paper towel dispensers



Nov. 23, 1943. woos fi 2,334,689

SUPPLY CONTROL FOR PAPER TOWEL DISPENSERS Filed Dec. 31, 1941 ATTORNEYS.

v are designed for paper towels or a Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED sr-Ares eAreNr SUPPLY ooNTRoL FOR i DISPENSERS V P hiiip A. Wooster, sen Rafael, Cant. is v. mmetienpeeemter 3 1, 1941,,SerialNo.4 2f5, 1-76 V voiai s." U(ACLZ42Y5 5.LZ)

' This invention relates to controlling the pa; per supply'in paper towel dispensers, and relates particularly to means designed to prevent the use of unauthorized paper in dispensers which manufacturer and quality It is customary for manufacturers and distributor's of paper towels to provide dispensers for towels and also to supply rolls of toweling to be used in the dispensers. In order to discourage use of unauthorized toweling ortowel'ing-of an inferior grade, it has becomejeoin'mon practice to provide dispensers with means to prevent "any but a particular type of towel roll beir'i'ginserted,

and then provide toweling therefor in rolls which-- cannot readily "turers.

1 Some of the dispensers 'now in use include be duplicated by other manufac- "tion to prevent; insertion of a roll of normal length, unless it is cut in a particular manner to enable it to pass over the stud or projection; A

shorter roll may be inserted but willnot be supported properly. In some cases, however, a roll which is considerably shorter than theleng'th properly used in the dispensers, will drop to the bottom of the dispenser and function very mu h in the manner intended for a properly supported! roll. v r

It is the objectof the present invention to .provide a simple and inexpensive means for insuring against the use of unauthorized paper in a towel dispenser and especially jtolins'ure against the use of short rolls in a dispenser which has control means depending for successful functioning on the towel roll being of a predetermined length.

Other objects and advantages of the :invention are made apparent in the iollowing specification wherein the same is described in detail and wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig.- 1 is a sectional view through a towel dispenser embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 11-11 of Fig.1; a

Fig. 3*is a perspective view'of a roll of paper toweling of the kind illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; i

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the bottom wall of the dispenser illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; s

Fig.5 is a perspective view of one of the towel supporting members illustrated in Fig. 1 and particular means to support a rollpof toweling at its-ends only and means consisting of a stud or .projec-F s Fig. 6 "is a perspeetive view'ojr amo ifiea ferm' er the sup orting member illustrated in Fig. 5.

' 'rhe tow'e1 is enser shown in Figs; '{1 end-2 tithe drawing isiniistratea as having a bot-'- tom m and pan-or ena' w'au H en loses-within a suitable cover l2; Within the dispenser is e inessunng or tower a vancing roller, s; over whichpaper rom aron or toweling T4 is trained.

The rouer la is connected "with a erahkerether suitable device for causin'g'it to rotate s'o'that the paper trained ovr'it win be save-"seesaw redrrom th saurus a position without the 'lii gths "Suitable m use; The loller I 3 may be also, if desired equi ped with any conventional stop or time delay mechanism "for measuring-the lengths of toweling advanced by it for affecting a delay betweensueeessivedi pensine operations. ani'snis' form no art of the present invention and as these o erating mechnormal leh gth Cannot be introduced into the;

'ti'ated her'em. on the opposed faces-of the end walls H are secured a pair of supports {l5. These supports incline forwardly and toward "the roller 13 sothat the-supply roll l'ithe ends'jorwhich a I I rest upon "the supports it wingravitate "toward and tiofne to rest against the'roller lt. Each or the supports 15 presents a relatively'narr'ow supporting surface so that the supmy roll 14 must be Ofa, brefiteimined minimum length ill.

which tunes the stud l6.

"The supply run It is ofalength iustto fit be.

tween the end walls H and the groo e-la isof a depth to pass over the tud I6 upon-insertion or the supply r011. one advantage or'the'stru f- "tllf fofr defined, is that a supply rollfof dispenser unless it is provided withthe groove-ls.

While a supply roll sufiicien'tly shorter than standard length maybe placed in the dispenser, itwiu ii tjrest upon the supports 15.; Transverses extending members l9 and 20 which reinro'ree the side walls I] are preferablypositioned to prevent insertion or a-s'upply 'rouexcept the normal path in which the stud I6 is positioned. Other advantages of this structure and method of controlling the paper supply in towel dispensers are set forth'in Patent No. 2,232,968 for Towel dispenser and supply roll therefor, issued to' Lawrence L. Price and Maurice E. Maltby on February 25; 1941.

It has been found, however, that if the unauthorized or inferior grade of paper attempted to be inserted inthe dispenser is considerably shorter than a standard roll, it will pass between the innermost edges of the supports, and rest entirely upon the bottom I0 of the dispenser where it will in some cases function as efliciently or nearly as efliciently as thoughjit were properly supported upon the supports l5. 1' .1. The present invention insures against success-' ful operation of the short supplyroll through the structure now to be described.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, of the dispenser is provided with a plurality of ,u v rd r, siirwsd s i esii Poi 1" 7111688 p nt. m t man r. b t a e i e n e y ov ded, b punching out triangularr'sections oi the bottom wall 51935 2 id sp t e r-t ular. s aba n sn ins; hem. .u wa-rd v. wn; at El a; 4- Th methodof construction has the advantage of proiv d f hol s inth. b ttqmw l d m i e se whish srvet ep r -o r i ti sd aan small bits or paper which fall from th e supply.

roll to; escape, rather than to accumulate within the; dispenser where they may tend to foul or soil the towelin Just before it is dispensed. The

upwardly directed points of the members provide a; surface which will notgsi pport a roll of aper qw li s it o t i v heret andw will destroy the toweling by tearing it if the roll is rotated eas it must be during a normal dispensing operation. Consequently, any;ro1l of toweling placed wit hin the 5 dispenser; which is sufliciently-short to.avoid both of ;the supports 15, will rest upon the serrated surface presented by the points, and. will bedestroyed it an attempt 'is madetordispense it; r; 1-" 5 j ti iurtherjmeans, for. preventing the .use ,of

short rolls and one which may be used either instead of, orgin additionto the points-lion the bottom'wallis illustrated in Fig. 5. In this figure cheer the supports ,15 which is conventionally of .sim eansu r shape is h a vi ezaninv wardly projecting flange 23, wider than-itssupporting surface and have an upwardly turned serrated edge 24 upon which'the paper roll will rest if it is too short to be supported. in normal position on the, supports, I 5. A -mgdificat.i0n 50f the; structurexshown in Fig. :5 is illustratedin s-..;6 wherein a s rated; edge .25 s shown as e t ndin n n l ceot the: upwa dly .ex-

tending serrated edge 24.- 'Ineithergof thegcases illustrated in Figs. 5 and, 6 .-the supplygoll; which istoo short and therefore iallsbetweenthe nor- .m al supporting J surface, will, become entangled with, damaged by, or. lodged againshrotational rnovementby; the serrateld portions of the: supporting member which. inhorrna1-.-operation of t di se h- Qw 011; r perlength will have no eifectgwhatsoeyer, on the toweling e s i ed.

Either the structure shown in Fig. 4 or those shown in Figs. 5 and 6,011 both, maybe included withthe conventional dispenser at extremely low cost to provide an effective and eificient guard against the use of paper other than that intended the bottom waif it a vends, and control means to prevent any but an authorized roll of toweling being so supported therein, meanswithin the dispenser to lacerate thetoweling if it is not properly supported'there- 2. In a towel dispenser having supports to hold ;a roll of toweling spaced from the bottom of the dispenser and means to prevent insertion in the dispenser of an unauthorized roll unless it is too short-to restonsaidsupports, a serrated surface on the bottom-ofthe dispenserto injure the towelin g i f-it is not properly supported therein;;

3. In a towel dispenser having narrow supports-for opposite ends of a a roll of toweling and means to prevent insertionfinthe dispenser of an unauthorizedroll unless it is tooshort .to rest on said suppqrts, metalpoints arranged below and between said supports; wherebyanyroll of 'to'weling tooshort tor proper engagement with r the supports will, iiinserted in;the dispenser be tornupon an attempted dispensing operation.

V In a towel dispenser.havingsupports for the ends only of a roll of toweling to be dispensed so that a-ro ll too short forthe supports will rest upon'the'bottom oi theclispenser and means to prevent insertion in the dispenser of anunauthorized rollunlessit is too short to rest-onsaid supports, a plurality of points formed on the bot- 40.

tom of .the dispenser bypunching and bending up .poin'tedportions of the metal of which the bottom is formed whereby the roll resting on the bottomjwill be'la'cerated. Q Y

5 In v a, towel dispenser having supports, for the ends only of a roll 'of toweling and meansto prevent insertion in, the dispenser of an unauthorized 'rolliunless it is tooshort to rest on said supports, serrated metaledges arranged adjacent oisaidsupports to engage and'tear the toweling if'it is not properly supported by them.

, 6. In,a,combination Witha towel dispenser fhavin g spaced supports fora rolloi toweling to be dispensed andhaving a studarranged toproject into the path of 'a'rcll ortowelingbeing inserted toward said supports whereby any roll or toweling sufficiently long'to restproperly on said supports must be gro'ovedat its end to pass over said stud, means to prevent the use of short rolls of toweling comprising towel lace'rating members'positioned below the supports toengagethe'roll if itfalls below the supports;

7. In combination with a towel dispenser havingspaced' supports for a roll'oi towelingfto be dispensed and having a stud arranged-to project 'into the path'of aroll of toweling being inserted toward saidsup'ports whereby any roll'of toweling sufiiciently'long to rest properly on saidsupports must be grooved at its end to pass over stud, means-to present the use of short rollsof toweling comprising a-plurality of'points cut and bent upwardly from the bottornof the dispenser to engage andtear the toweling if the roll falls below the supports.

. PHIIrIP A. WOOSTER. 

